And, um, I think I believe him. It's one thing to say such a thing a year in advance. It's quite another when Geoff says such a thing a year in advance.

And I thought I was climbing way out on a limb by announcing in the midst of a knee injury that I'd like to ride in the Ultrasport race to McGrath next February. Clearly, I have no concept of ambition. That, and Geoff has no concept of prudence.

I'm not sure how I feel about his intentions. On one hand, I'm excited, because I know him and I know it's something he could excel at, even with the odds stacked against him. I also know that he would put his whole heart and soul into it and be gone for weeks, if not months, to prepare for and participate in the GDR. That should probably bother me ... that some dumb 'ol bike race is more important to him than hanging out with me, or that some dumb 'ol bike race is more important to him than building a "real" life. But I don't really feel that way. When I think about Geoff racing the GDR, I first feel empathy, and then envy. I think our relationship works because we're equally afflicted with the same misguided passions ... and equally self-involved.

June 2008 is a long way away. But I know - from the first time I thought it would be "interesting" to move to Alaska, or "fun" to ride 100-mile winter bike race on the Iditarod trail - that these ideas have a way of becoming self-perpetuating. It will be interesting to see what the next 12 months bring. But I already suspect (with relief, but also disappointment) that it's not going to be a mortgage and ceremony where someone smashes cake in my face.

11 comments:

A year is about right for GDR prep time. Tell Geoff he's free to quiz me about anything about the race.

As for that other stuff in my experience relationships work if the two people have a similar intensity in their passions, but those passions don't have to be the same in any way. My wife is not "into" cycling the way I am but she's got other things she's similarly passionate about.

BTW, diamonds are a huge scam and I wouldn't trade my bivy sack for any mortgage. I know too many home "owners" who spend every weekend at Home Depot and who comment how "lucky" I am that I have a job I love and time to go on adventures.

I don't know Geoff and I don't know you to say anything about your personal life. You sound a bit disappointed. Don't be. Everything happens for a reason and it happens when it is supposed to happen. You two don't strike me as doing the same things everyone else does and you certainly have your own way.There is an old German love poem that says:" by never holing her up, she is still flying"It works both ways and I know it is hard. I dated long distance for three years and thought we would never come together but it worked out in its own time...Either one of you has their goals and you gotta go for them. You have so much precious time left together....Fly together!!

yeah jill, you should do the GDR too... and when you roll into antelope wells i'll be waiting there for you with some cake to smash in your face... or maybe i'll pour a pepsi over your head or something like that. or even more likely is that you'll roll into antelope wells before me.

Cool! It'd be nice to meet Geoff up at the start. And yes, I'm kinda surprised you haven't kicked the idea around for yourself, Jill. I think I'll be back again to cover the start in person. I'm kicking the idea of riding the first day as well. I have a feeling we're in for an even larger group next year.